David Witzling
Advertisements have always had the sole purpose to promote their product by targeting a certain population: female, male, child, adult, blue collar workers or white collar workers. However, in the past decade (or perhaps since I have been old enough to notice) advertisements have undergone a directional transformation. Instead of ad’s focusing on gender specifics, a new age of mundane material has emerged in the form of esthetics’ and message. Perhaps the general public is so bombarded by propaganda that agencies have found new approaches to grab attention. Perhaps we are a globalized culture that seeks a greater good. Or perhaps we are a part of a disguised conspiracy that is the propaganda in a new form. In any sense, an ideal is being uncovered and more importantly, grasped by consumers.
For the 2008 Summer Olympics, VISA put out a series of ads uniting support for all the participating nations. The campaign was called, “GO WORLD”. The commercials and ads contained still photographs of athletes in their proudest moments. Sepia toned, with the idolized faces of gold medalists or celebrating fans, the ads illustrate the congregation that is the Olympic Games. As actor, Morgan Freeman narrates, “We forget all the things that make us different, and remember all the things that make us the same.” This is a statement that embodies the purpose of the games, the universal denominator; our humanity. The commercial ends leaving the viewer with a feeling of nostalgia. He wants a violin to playback his memories. He wants an American icon narrating the past events as if they were his own. Most of main stream culture identifies with an icon like Morgan Freeman or Michael Phelps because they are real people. Yes, they have extraordinary talents, but when their goals are reached, they celebrate the same way we do.
VISA illustrates the universal desire to belong or take part in an event that globally links us. The linkage of our humanity is indisputable and in knowing this, VISA is able to target not just a single group, but the entirety of those that are exposed to media. This is the new age of advertisements, where the ads themselves mask the intentions of the promoters by using something besides sexuality as a tool for enticement. Although sexuality, as seductive technique, may be effective at promoting a product to an isolated group, universally visual and aural techniques have a greater appeal probability. It is well known that sex sells, but when is it effective? Do all populations appreciate the bare skin of an attractive female? Am I, as a heterosexual woman, more inclined to buy a pair of sneakers because of a nudey girl? These are all questions that begin to expose the essence of sexuality verses universality.
Although VISA is clearly an example of the effectiveness of universal targeting, it is not the only one. There are many other companies that are adopting a more substantial approach to promotions. In a girl scout ad, a sign reads, “I am your future president”. Without saying more than a few words, the ad speaks for itself: I am targeting an intelligent adult population that is committed to doing their part in enhancing the future. As a mass people, our life goals are the same. We want to live, prosper, and enjoy all the things that accompany a “good” life. It is also an innate desire to pass these same ideals to our offspring. What better way than to have your little girl join Girl Scouts, and learn the values that will aid in her great life?
In westernized culture, sexual promiscuity is not part of this ideal. And advertisements that put private skins on display are not appealing this idyllic. However, there are exceptions to the rules of sexual obviousness, of course. Perhaps the promoter is targeting the highly sexualized young adult population. For this, they utilized an exotic individual knowing that both genders will identify either with wanting to be that individual, or wanting to be with them. In this case, it may be the best, if only way to attract attention. Believing, however, that humanity is more complex than sex, does not seem to be a far-fetched ideal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V22PebTiik
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